Connector pins



Dec. 29, 1964 R. A. L. KRUITWAGEN ETAL CONNECTOR PINS Filed Dec. 6. 1961United States Patent 3,163,435 CQNNEQTUR PINS Reinirns A. L. Kruitwagen,Westervoort, and Antonius B. Fasteuning, s Hertngenhosch, Netherlands,assignors to Ali 1F Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Filed Dec. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 157,358 Ulaims priority, applicationGermany Dec. 8, 1960 3 Claims. (Cl. 339 272) This invention relates toelectrical connectors, of the pin type, having a ferrule for making apermanent attachment (for example, by crimping or soldering) to anelectrical conductor, and a connecting means for releasably securing itin a receptacle.

It is an object of this invention to provide a ferruletype connectorhaving a pin emanating therefrom, which is adapted to be secured in areceptacle. The ferrule is adapted to be crimped to an electricalconductor, and the pin is adapted to conform with the curvature of thereceptacle while having a portion adapted to receive a set screw forholding it in place.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a sheet metal,electrical connector having a ferrule portion and a pin portion. Theferrule and pin are rolled to permit the ferrule to be crimped to anelectrical conductor and permit the pin to be inserted into a matingreceptacle.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sheet metal,electrical connector having a pin which has a curvature mating with thecurvature of the receptacle, and also having a fiat portion adapted toreceive a means for holding the pin in the receptacle.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings inwhich there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of theinvention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is 'notintended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the inventi-on but is givenfor purposes of illustration in order 1 that others skilled in the artmay fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and themanner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it invarious forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of aparticular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an electrical connector crimped to aconductor and embodying the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the connector of FIGURE 1 apart from thewire;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken through plane 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 illustrating the pin in aterminal block with a set screw holding it in place;

portion 12 integral therewith. The sheet metal connector may be stampedout of flat stock (FIGURE 5) with the ferrule-forming portion 10 beingwider than the pinforming portion 12. The ferrule-forming portion 10 isrolled into a cylindrical shape so that it is adapted to receive aconductor D. The pin-forming portion 12 is also rolled up and shaped toform a rounded bottom surface 14 and a flat top surface 16. Theferrule-forming portion 1% may be brazed along its seam 18 (FIGURE 1)and may also include serrations 20 on its inner surface. It is notedthat the longitudinal axis of the pin is parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the ferrule-forming portion. The conductor D is stripped ofinsulation at one end and the uninsulated portion inserted into theferrule-forming member iii and crimped by suitable indentations 22.

The pin portion 12 may be inserted into a terminal block 24 (FIGURE 4)having a cylindrical receptacle 26 therein. A set screw 28 protrudingthrough the terminal block 24 and receptacle 26 bears upon the flatsurface 16 on the pin. As shown in FIGURE 4, the arcuate bottom surfaceof the pin 12 corresponds to the curvature of the receptacle 26. It isalso noted that the flat surface 16 which the pin 28 engages isdiametrically opposed to the curved portion 14 which engages thereceptacle. Thus the tightening of the set screw 28 forces theelectrical conductive surfaces into tight engagement.

The device illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 has a ferrule-forming portion10' with pin-forming portions 12 emanating therefrom. The portions and12' are rolled into a cylindrical form, and the pin-forming portion isshaped to form a flat surface 16. The connector may be employed in thesame manner as the connectors illus trated in FIGURES 1-5.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art andvarious apparently different modifications and embodiments may be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forthin the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by wayof illustration only.

We claim:

1. A connector pin having a ferrule for making a permanent attachment toan electric conductor and a pin part for making a releasable connectionto a receptacle in a terminal block, the pin being integrally formedfrom a sheet metal blank and the pin part being formed from part of theblank folded into a substantially solid cylindrical form of uniformcross-section and having a diametral seam, the pin part having one sidesubstantially fiat and normal to the seam to receive a screw of theblock and the diametrically opposite side rounded to match the curvatureof the receptacle.

2. A connector pin according to claim 1 in which the pin part is formedfrom a double thickness of the sheet metal blank and the diametral seamextends through substantially half of the thickness of the pin part.

3. A connector pin according to claim 1 in which the rounded side of thepin part is an extension of part of the outer surface of the ferrule.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A CONNECTOR PIN HAVING A FERRULE FOR MAKING A PERMANENT ATTACHMENT TOAN ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR AND A PIN PART FOR MAKING A RELEASABLE CONNECTIONTO A RECEPTACLE IN A TERMINAL BLOCK, THE PIN BEING INTEGRALLY FORMEDFROM A SHEET METAL BLANK AND THE PIN PART BEING FORMED FROM PART OF THEBLANK FOLDED INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY SOLID CYLINDRICAL FORM OF UNIFORMCROSS-SECTION AND HAVING A DIAMETRAL SEAM, THE PIN PART HAVING ONE SIDESUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND NORMAL TO THE SEAM TO RECEIVE A SCREW OF THEBLOCK AND THE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SIDE ROUNDED TO MATCH THE CURVATUREOF THE RECEPTACLE.